My good friend Lacy Hayes was born a twin of the Lakota Sioux tribe, centered in Rose Bud, South Dakota. Her first language is Lakota, which she learned in order to speak with her Grandma while simultaneously learning English. She grew up in a large family away from the tribe in Houston, Texas, and to this day has so much to show for her hard-work and determination.
On her culture…
Women are placed at the center of the tribe because they are considered to be closest to God. The man is the platform on which the children, and ultimately the women are built upon. One of the traditions that she has participated in since childhood is called smudging. It is a ceremony in which her mom will pray over each child with sage; this is a ceremony she enjoyed frequently. Crystals are also very important; they are lined on the window sills to keep bad spirits from entering, and finally dream catchers are also an object of extreme importance to her culture.
On her life now… Hayes graduated on December 17, 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work. Astonishingly, she landed a huge job as a Government Investigator right out of college. She works 5 days a week, and will typically amass 40+ hours on the job, however more often than not she acquires way more than 40. Though her job can be exhausting, it can be incredibly rewarding. She mentioned, “The most rewarding thing is that I go to work each and every day knowing that I’m impacting a child’s life positively.” Some of the most incredible stories she’s told me have all included getting a young child out of a rough and difficult situation and finding them a home where they’ll be able to flourish and live a wonderful life. The road to get where she is today was no easy task for Hayes, but her hard-work and determination to reach her goal make her one of the many women in my life worthy of the title “Woman of the Year,” and I couldn’t be happier to have a more dedicated woman in my life pushing me to be a better person each and every day.